Dow Jones to consider Murdoch's bid
New York: The board of directors of Dow Jones & Co said it plans to consider alternatives for the company, including a $5 billion bid by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp to buy it. The Bancroft family on Thursday said they would meet Murdoch, a softening of their earlier opposition to his $60-per-share offer for the company.

The company also said a board representative would be present at discussions that the Bancroft family, which controls Dow Jones, holds with Murdoch and News Corp.
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Dell results better than expected
San Francisco: Dell Inc. has reported quarterly earnings and revenue that are better than analysts' expectations. Fiscal first-quarter net income fell to $759 million, or 34 cents per share, from $762 million, or 33 cents per share, reported a year earlier. Dell said the first-quarter and year-ago quarter's figures were subject to restatement as regulators have been investigating its accounting practices for almost two years.

Revenue rose to $14.6 billion from $14.2 billion reported a year earlier.

The company also said it planned to cut 10 percent of its work force, sending its shares up 6 percent.

The after market hours stock price topped a 12-month high set in November. Apart from the results and job cuts, investors were also encouraged as Dell said customers bought more-expensive systems and component prices fell in the quarter, helping profit margins.
Recent reports by market research firms Gartner and IDC had indicated Dell's personal computer sales would be worse.

The company said last week it would break from its 23-year-old practice of selling directly to customers via the Internet or phone and would sell low-priced PCs at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in North America beginning June 10.
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Motorola to cut 4,000 jobs
Chicago: Motorola announced plans to cut another 4,000 jobs to improve sagging financial and operational results.

The latest round of cuts means the world's No 2 handset maker will eliminate more than 10 per cent of its work force since the start of 2007. The company is already is in the process of eliminating 3,500 jobs as part of a two-year cost-cutting plan to save $400 million. Those layoffs, announced in January would be completed by June 30.

Motorola said it will save another $600 million in 2008 by cutting 4,000 more workers, prioritizing investments and putting controls on discretionary spending and general and administrative expenses.

The company expects to take a hit of $300 million, or 8 cents per share, in 2007, from severance and related expenses from staff cuts.
Motorola's work force, which stood at 150,000 people globally in 2000, declined to 66,000 at the beginning of the year. Investors reacted well to the cuts. Motorola shares rose 12 cents in extended-hours trading after closing the regular session down 2 cents at $18.28.
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